High Flux Isotope Reactor Operation and Capabilities
Transcript of High Flux Isotope Reactor Operation and Capabilities
Managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy
Ronald A. Crone Research Reactors Division Director
Presented by: Chris Bryan Irradiations Manager
High Flux Isotope Reactor
June 10, 2013
High Flux Isotope Reactor Operation and Capabilities
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ORNL is US DOE’s largest science and energy laboratory and HFIR is integrated with ORNL’s S&T missions
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$1.65B budget
4,650 employees
3,000 research guests
annually
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manhattan Project initiates a long history of ORNL Research Reactors
13 RESEARCH REACTORS, STARTING WITH THE GRAPHITE REACTOR IN 1943
Graphite Reactor Tower Shielding Reactor Health Physics Research Reactor Molten Salt Reactor Experiment
Oak Ridge Research Reactor
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The need for HFIR was expressed by Glenn Seaborg in 1957
“The field of new transuranium elements is entering an era where the participating scientists in this country cannot go much further without some unified national effort… The future progress in this area depends on substantial weighable quantities (say milligrams) of berkelium, californium, and einsteinium…” G. T. Seaborg Berkeley, October 24, 1957
Fm
Es
Fm 254 Fm 255 Fm 256
SF
Fm 257
Es 254 Es 255
- EC -
CfCf 249
, (n,f)
Cf 250 Cf 251 Cf 253 Cf 254
, ,
, (n,f) ,
Bk 249Bk
Bk 250 Bk 251
-
Cm 242
Am
Cm
Pu 246
Cm 243
Pu 239
, (n,f)
, (n,f)
Cm 244 Cm 245
, (n,f)
Cm 246
, (n,f)
Cm 247
, SF
Cm 248
SF
Cm 249 Cm 250
Pu 240
Np 237
Pu 238 Pu 241 Pu 242 Pu 243
Np 238
Pu 244 Pu 245
-, (n,f)
, (n,f)-
Am 241
, EC-
Am 242 Am 243 Am 244 Am 245 Am 246
94
93
95
96
N
Z
98
97
100
99
SF
--
-
---
- - -Pu
Np
Es 253
Cf 252
, SF
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HFIR History
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Materials Irradiation Testing • Fusion Energy – provides best available neutron
spectrum for radiation damage testing on fusion components; collaboration between U.S. and Japan for over thirty years
• Fission Energy – research supporting next-generation commercial power reactors including accident tolerant fuel and reactor materials
•National Security – Neutron Activation Analysis supporting IAEA non-proliferation monitoring 1,021 Materials and NAA Irradiations in FY2011
Reliable Source of Unique Isotopes •Californium-252 – HFIR supplies 80% of the world
demand, which is critical for industrial, defense, and energy uses
•Berkelium-249 – used in the discovery of element 117 and the search for element 119
•Plutonium-238 – the source of power for satellites and NASA’s deep space missions
• Selenium-75, Nickel-63, Tungsten-188 – supplier of industrial, homeland security, and medical isotopes 98 Commercial and Medical Isotope Irradiations
in FY2011
Neutron Scattering •Cold Source
• Small-angle neutron scattering (2) • Cold triple-axis spectroscopy • Neutron imaging • Quasi-Laue Diffractometer
•Thermal beams • Triple-axis spectroscopy (3) • Powder diffraction • Single-crystal diffraction • Residual stress diffraction
1,300 Users conducted 730 Unique Neutron Scattering Experiments in FY2011
For more information go to http://neutrons.ornl.gov/facilities/HFIR/
HFIR capabilities serve a broad range of science
and technology communities
•Very high flux – available for neutron science in the world at 2.5X1015N/cm2/sec
• Fuel design – breakthrough flux-trap design remains world class
173 Neutron Scattering and Material Science Publications in CY2011
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Reactor Characteristics Vertical Cross Section of HFIR
Power level: 85 MW
Light water moderated and cooled Beryllium reflected
Fuel: AL clad U3O8 plates – 9.4 Kg 235U
Control – concentric cylinders of EuO
Pressure vessel – carbon steel with stainless steel cladding (94“ I.D. x 2-7/8“ thick)
Coolant flow: 16,000 GPM
Inlet pressure: 468 PSIG: Temp: 120º F
Outlet pressure: 358 PSIG: Temp: 156º F
Fuel cycle: 23-27 days (@85 MW operations)
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HFIR is a series of concentric cylindrical features
Target
Fuel
Control
Reflector
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HFIR offers a variety of irradiation sites, each with unique characteristics
Target RB* Small VXF Large VXF
Fast flux, E > 0.1 MeV (1018 n/m2-s; 1014 n/cm2-s) 11 5.3 0.51 0.13
Peak displacements per atom (dpa) per calendar year (stainless steel) 12.6 4.7 0.45 0.12
Thermal flux (1018 n/m2-s; 1014 n/cm2-s) 20 9.7 7.5 4.3
Gamma heating (W/g SS) 46 16 3.3 1.7 Typical capsule diameter (mm) 13 43 37 69 Number of available positions 36 8 16 6
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Top View of Reactor Irradiation Sites
Inner
Fuel Element
Target Basket
VXF
Removable Beryllium Reflector
Outer Fuel
Element
Permanent Beryllium Reflector
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HFIR Hydraulic Tube Facility allows online insertion and removal of experiments during the cycle. • Allows access to the high flux region
with the reactor operating
• Can accommodate 9 capsule targets (rabbits)
Overall Dimensions of a Finned Rabbit
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Beryllium Reflector offers larger volume for experiments/isotope production
• Suitable for isotope production (C-14, Pu-238)
• Lower flux and gamma rates well suited for fuels testing.
• Lower Fast flux not ideal for radiation-induced damage (DPA), but still high
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Involute shaped fuel plates offer constant width water gap, critical to fuel performance.
171 Fuel
Plates
369 Fuel
Plates
Flux Trap
Region
447 cycles X 540 fuel plates = 241,380 fuel plates without a failure. Excellent design and quality control by the fabricator.
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HFIR neutron scattering facilities HB-1, Polarized Triple-Axis Spectrometer
HB-1A, Fixed Incident Energy Triple-Axis Spectrometer
HB-2A, Neutron Powder Diffractometer
HB-2B, NRS2 – Neutron Residual Stress Mapping Facility
HB-2C, WAND – U.S.-Japan Wide-Angle Neutron Diffractometer
HB-3, Triple-Axis Spectrometer
HB-3A, Single-Crystal Four-Circle Diffractometer
CG-1 Development Beam Line
CG-2, SANS1 – Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Diffractometer
CG-3, BIO-SANS – Biological Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Instrument
CG-4C, U.S.-Japan Cold Neutron Triple-Axis Spectrometer
CG-4 D, IMAGINE – Image Plate Single Crystal Diffractometer
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In-Core irradiation studies
HFIR is being used to explore composites for nuclear applications
Spectrum tailoring provides data for fusion reactor material down-selection
17J capsule prior to Li fill
MATERIALS RESEARCH FUEL RESEARCH
Accident-tolerant nuclear reactor fuel
Fully ceramic microencapsulated fuel has these benefits:
• Insignificant hydrogen production: No need for 1200°C limit to prevent Zr-steam reaction
• No core melt in severe accidents • Highly resistant to fission product release
in anticipated operational occurrences • Better economy (more watts per gram of U) • Higher power ramp capability • Potential drop-in fuel for current LWR fleet • Simplify next-generation reactor design
TRISO fuel particle which has been cracked, showing the
multiple coating layers
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In-Core isotope production HFIR produces a diverse set of isotopes for a variety of industries and applications
Isotope Production
• Cf-252: Rx startup source, radiography for well-logging, coal mining and oil pipelines
• W-188 : Bone pain palliation, tumor therapy, restenosis therapy, bone marrow ablation, and treatment of skin cancer
• Se-75 : gamma radiography • Lu-177 : Microstatic tumor therapy and
bone pain palliation • Ni-63 : Detection of explosives and
drugs at airports • Ho-166m : Reference sources for
ionization chambers • Bk-249 : Instrumental in the discovery
of element 117
New Isotopes in 2012
• U-234 : Fission chambers • Ir-192 : Therapy • Ac-225 : Therapy • Cl-36 : Tracer • Gd-152 Battery
Planning in progress for
• Pu-238 production at HFIR/REDC & ATR • Ho-166m : Various • C-14 : Tracer
Energy •Nuclear fuel quality control •Reactor start-up sources •Coal analyzers •Oil exploration
Security •Handheld contraband detectors •Standard for all neutron fission measurements •Monitoring downblending of HEU •Identifying unexploded chemical ordnance & detecting land mines
Industrial •Mineral analyzers •Cement analyzers •FHA measurements for corrosion (bridges, highway infrastructure)
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ORNL/INL re-establishing DOE capability to produce 238Pu for NASA space missions NASA missions rely on several methods for generating electricity in space. Recent work at ORNL has focused on a 2-year plan for developing and proving the technologies to produce 238Pu to satisfy NASA’s needs. 238Pu is produced by neutron capture of 237Np (Neptunium) in a high thermal flux nuclear reactor. ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor and INL’s Advanced Test Reactor will perform the irradiations, and ORNL’s Radiochemical Engineering Development Center will process the resulting material, extracting the purified 238Pu.
Mars Rover Curiosity uses an RTG containing 3.6kg 238Pu to produce electricity. -NASA image ORNL’s research reactors division will lead the efforts to
design and qualify irradiation targets, beginning with small single-pellet capsules (237Np oxide pellets) and progressing towards multi-pellet targets to verify both safety calculations as well as product quality estimates. The result of this 2-year effort will be include specifications, designs, processes and procedures required to produce 238Pu at a pilot scale as well as a schedule and cost for increasing production to full-scale (1.5-2 kg per year)
Image of a single 0.25” diameter
237Np pellet
Multi Mission Radio Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) -NASA image
238Pu pellet glowing from internal heat after being
insulated
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The HFIR Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) is used for accelerated radiation damage studies.
Primary Uses
• Qualify materials and components for the nuclear industry
• Understand material behaviors in a radiation environment
Capabilities
• Samples can be subjected to gamma fluxes up to 108Rad/h.
• Samples are placed in a 3-in diameter X 25” long canister in the flux trap of a spent fuel element.
• Sweep gasses provide cooling and inert environment.
• Electrical connections allow data acquisition and power to the samples.
Ion exchange resin radiation tolerance studies (for removing Cs-137 from high level waste)
Investigating radiation resistance of materials for lunar reactor environments (NASA)
Understanding radiation induced conductivity changes in high voltage insulators
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Gamma irradiations will help FDA’s understanding of spinal disk properties
Side view of artificial spinal disc (Graphic from www.knowyourback.org )
Artificial Spinal Discs As an alternative to spinal fusion, new advances are allowing the replacement of damaged or worn intervertebral discs with artificial discs. The contacting portion of the artificial disc are typically produced from a variant of polyethylene, an inert, biocompatible material that provides both cushioning and wear characteristics. Wear characteristics are of particular concern, since over time the polyethylene material can be worn thin, and cause buildup of polyethylene dust, ultimately leading to failure of the artificial joint. All medical devices and prostheses are treated with gamma radiation prior to installation. This serves two purposes: 1) to sterilize the material and 2) gamma radiation improves the wear characteristics of the polyethylene. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has undertaken a project to better characterize the wear properties of the contacting disc materials. This involves irradiating disc samples at varying gamma rates and to different total gamma exposures. RRD has recently completed irradiation of the first series of samples and will continue with additional samples in the coming weeks and months.
For more information on spinal disc replacement, please see http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Programs-and-Services/Spine-Center/Services/Surgical-Treatments/Artificial-Disc-Replacement.aspx
Several varieties of artificial spinal discs
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HFIR NAA facilities support a wide variety of applications
Typical HFIR NAA
Applications
Impurities analysis
Environmental studies
Criminal forensics
Nuclear forensics
Geology
Two Pneumatic Tubes: PT-1: Thermal Neutron Flux: 4 × 1014 n cm-2 s-1 • Thermal-to-Resonance Ratio: 35 • Shielded sample loading station with remote
manipulators • Decay station in pool • Rabbit travel time: 2.5 seconds PT-2: Thermal Neutron Flux: 4 × 1013 n cm-2 s-1 • Thermal-to-Resonance Ratio: 250 • Loading station in hood • Automated delayed-neutron counting station that
will measure 20 - 30 picograms of 235U or other fissile material in 5 minutes
• Other characteristics of PT-1 apply
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ORNL Hot Cell facilities have capabilities that are directly coupled to HFIR
Radiochemical Processing Facility (REDC)
•Pellet forming, Welding, Hydrostatic compression, encapsulation
•Dissolution, voloxidation, solvent extraction, ion exchange processing, evaporation, filtration, precipitation, furnace heating.
•Analytical chemistry, radiography, Helium leak testing, Physical and dimensional inspection, Calorimetry
•Alpha laboratory
Irradiated Materials Examination and Testing
(IMET) •Metrology, profilometry, physical
examination •High temp, high vacuum testing •Tensile testing in various
environments. • Impact testing, fatigue and
fracture toughness testing •Highly radioactive material
characterization • SEM •Machining, CNC milling, welding,
ultrasonic cleaning •Annealing
Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory
(IFEL) • Full-length LWR fuel examination •Repackaging of spent fuel •Metrology, metallography,
grinding/polishing, optical and electron microscopy, gamma spectrometry
• Fission gas sampling and analysis •Thermal imaging • SEM/Microprobe •Microsphere gamma analyzer for
individual fuel particle analysis